Sunday Musings - Into Ind We Go!
With thanks to Liberty for nudging me down this particular rabbit hole — buckle up, because today we’re heading far beyond the Old World, deep into the shadowy jungles, spicy markets, and mystical mountains of Ind! Yes, the Old World’s own exotic mystery box tucked away south of the Mountains of Mourn, a place as rich in gods as it is in danger.
If you’ve ever wondered what Warhammer might look like if it had gone full East India Company meets Indiana Jones, then you’re in the right place. Ind isn’t your usual Warhammer fare — it’s not Middenheim or Altdorf (which, fun fact, literally translate to “shit house” and “old village,” which is absolutely high fantasy grandeur). No, Ind is a sprawling tapestry of temperate kingdoms ruled by rajas, teeming with tiger-headed Beastmen, cultists, and a thousand gods watching your every step.
Ind isn’t just a land; it’s a fever dream of spirituality and superstition so thick you could slice it with a Tulwar blade — and believe me, those swords are worth their weight in gold. Here, the people live under the gaze of countless gods like Gilgadresh, Brahmir, and the eight-armed tiger god She’ar Khawn, all worshipped with rituals that will make an Old World peasant clutch their rosary and whisper a prayer to Sigmar. The streets might be poor, but the temples gleam with gold, and the danger lurking in the jungles — be it slavers, cultists, or ancient evils — keeps the locals on edge and the superstitions alive and well.
Long ago, the Elves — both High and Dark — carved their influence into Ind. The High Elves built the City of Spires as a trade outpost and fortified sea routes with alabaster fortresses like the Tower of the Sun. Every decade, the Everqueen herself leads a ritual pilgrimage there to keep the doom-moon Morrslieb at bay — because, naturally, that’s what you do when the sky’s trying to kill you.
But it’s the Dark Elves who really left their mark in blood and steel. Lokhir Fellheart’s raids along Ind’s coasts, including the infamous sacking of the Temple of Gilgadresh, gave rise to the Red Blades — swords forged from bloodsteel, soaked in Indan blood, and wielded by the deadliest corsairs on the seas. If you thought the Druchii were bad news in the Old World, wait till you hear about their exploits in Ind.
Now, don’t expect the usual Old World Beastmen here. Ind’s “Bengal” tiger-headed Beastmen are something else entirely — ferocious, mysterious, and far smarter than your average horned brute. Their lair, the Eye of the Tiger cave, is a place whispered about in fearful tones by locals who know that failing to leave offerings of meat and rice could earn you a claw in the face. Are they related to Weretigers? Maybe. Are they your friend? Probably not.
Ind isn’t just wild gods and savage beasts — it’s a hub of trade connecting the Old World to Cathay and beyond. The Ivory Road and the Spice Route snake through treacherous lands, bringing silk, jade, spices, and magical curiosities like Scrivener’s Candles — prized for their rumored brain-boosting properties. Marienburg boasts an Indic ghetto where spice merchants and magicians mingle, and where you might find the sinister Venk Kataswaran, lord of the Golden Lotus Dreaming House, mixing drugs, blackmail, and slavery with terrifying efficiency.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Warhammer without Chaos crashing the party. Arbaal the Undefeated and his Slaaneshi rival Dechala didn’t just raid Ind during the End Times — they brought the full wrath of the Dark Gods down on the region. That this land, with its thousand gods, even survived is a testament to its people’s resilience and the power of their faith.
Ind is a utterly unique corner of Warhammer lore that for many decades now has been little more than a footnote. With Grand Cathay now a playable army in The Old World, I cannot help but hope for more explorations into these strange corners of Warhammer